


Ink-Black Feathers

by Amrynth



Series: AU August- Critical Role Edition [1]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Au-August, Gen, Implied Perc'ahlia, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-02
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-06-20 11:14:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15533001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amrynth/pseuds/Amrynth
Summary: Vex'ahlia and Vax'ildan cast a spell that reveals their soulmates on their skin.





	Ink-Black Feathers

**Author's Note:**

> Something short and sweet, a Soulmates AU for the first day of AU August.

Vaxil'dan giggled while they finished the little circle. It was unusual for he and his twin to work magic together, neither of them were particularly inclined toward it aside from a few things Vex'ahlia had picked up in the woods. This wasn't even supposed to work. The spell was supposed to give them each a mark to indicate who their soulmate was, it was stupid and childish but they were young and stupid. 

"Yours is just going to be a big goose egg, if it's anything," Vex said, stopping to compare what she'd drawn to the book in her hand. 

"Yeah? Yours will probably be a bear's face, right on your butt." They both looked over to where Trinket slept. He did a lot of that, being a baby.

"That wouldn't be so bad. Trinket's probably better than any smelly boy anyway," Vex declared. Prior to living with their father, all Vex remembered were rough, smelly children. Since then the youths and young men of the elven city were cold and distant and not interested in someone of mixed blood. Other than Vax she wasn't inclined to like or trust anyone. If she had to pick a soulmate it would be her brother or her bear, she could live with having a best friend for a soulmate. 

"Is it good?" Vex jumped to his feet and moved around behind his sister, peering over her shoulder. He hadn't put as much thought into a soulmate as his twin sister. He knew he didn't want Trinket because that would be silly. What would it be? Not that he actually believed it was going to be anything. That was kid's games. 

"Yeah I think this will work." Vex snapped the book shut and got to her feet as well, almost knocking her head on his. 

"Watch it Stubby." 

"Shut up. Stand over there." 

"What do we do?" Vax asked, going to the place she had indicated. 

"You stand still and shush while I cast the spell. Don't mess with anything," Vex told him. She was so bossy ever since they'd left home but he sort of loved it about her. She was trying her best to fill the role of their mother without even realizing it. 

Vex closed her eyes for a second just so she wouldn't have to look at her brother's stupid, grinning face. She took it all back, she didn't want her best friend for her soulmate, he was stupid. She'd been working to memorize the spell for days now and it felt strange but natural as the arcane words flowed from her tongue. It was just supposed to be a joke, something fun because of the book they had found. The flow of magic charged Vex'ahlia's spine like when she worked one of her spells and she felt a sting on her shoulder and down her arm. For a second she waivered in her recitation of the spell but Vax gave her hand an encouraging squeeze. She finished the spell without missing a beat.

Vax felt the spell across both shoulders like a shock. He'd never expected the joke to work and he braced himself. Magic was serious business and if Vex faltered he had to be there for her. Only when the spell was over did he let himself relax and glance where the whiplash of magic had stung him.

"Darling do you see this?" Vex asked, twisting around to try and look at her shoulder. Of course she didn't have a mirror with her to easily see what was on the back of her shoulder. She shrugged out of her jacket and craned her neck to look under the sleeveless blue top she wore.

After watching this for comedic effect, Vax stepped in to help. "Hang on. It's a... it looks like a clock, Stubby. And something that looks like smoke. Maybe you're going to marry an old man. An old man who smokes? Sorry, Trinket, it's not you, mate." 

"A clock? That's stupid. If I'm going to marry an old man he'd better be rich. I don't plan to marry for anything but a ton of gold."

"Not love?" Vax asked. 

Vex gave him such a withering look. "Mom was in love, look what that got her."

Very quietly, Vax answered. "I would imagine she thought we were worth it." 

"Would she? We'll never know now, will we? She sent us away, Vax'ildan, don't forget that." Vex's voice trembled, making the lie behind her words apparent. 

Vax gathered his sister into his arms, stroking her hair back from her face even though she refused to actually cry. It was easier for her to be angry with their mother than admit she missed her now that they could not return. 

"Stop it, you're suffocating me." Eventually Vex pushed him off and looked off toward Trinket just long enough to recover. "What about you. Anything?" 

He'd felt something across his shoulders but he wasn't sure he was ready to share something like that just yet. Eventually. For now, whatever the mark was lay hidden beneath his layers of clothing. "Nope, I'm not sure you did it right. Or maybe I haven't got a soulmate." 

"Well when I marry a rich old man you can live in the basement of our massive castle," Vex announced. She kicked her foot through the design she had used to cast the spell and went to collect the bear cub. "Let's go, brother, I'm cold."

Late that night, only once Vex had fallen asleep did Vax slide out of his bedroll. He was careful, watching both the sleeping bear and the baby bear to make sure he didn't wake either of them. Vax shivered while he dropped enough layers of dark leather and cotton to get a look at his shoulders, twisting just as his sister had hours ago to look at one shoulder. All he could see were dark feathers like ink across the skin of his shoulders. Was his soulmate a bird? 

He jumped when Vex rolled over in her sleep, restless until her hand found the small shape of Trinket sleeping beside her pillow. Vax didn't need her teasing him about the goose he had for a soulmate and got dressed before she could wake up. It was all silly anyway, Vax didn't believe in fate or destiny unless he made it for himself.


End file.
